From the haunting orchestration of Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely" to the gritty art-style of Sin City, atmosphere has been an important aspect of art and expression that has transcended mediums. One of the most important applications has been in gaming, where games with great atmospheres have pervaded the market for decades. They have featured sprawling jungles or desolate cities, with color palettes bursting with color or simply laden with grey and black. Ultimately, they've been able to capture the "feel" of a game perfectly.

One example I'd like to use is that of Bioshock:

Bioshock captured a world where selfishness was paramount and society was lawless. Rapture was dark, violent, and filled with enemies. The area seemed permeated with hopelessness and despair. It felt exactly as it should for the story it was trying to tell.

So what are some other examples of games with great atmospheres?

Came in here with Bioshock on mind.

I think I'll give mine to Catherine's bar scene. Every night you meet up with buddies, can get drunk if you want to, talk to random people, use your phone in the bathroom, play a stupid arcade, play the jukebox, talk about relationships, hit on the bartender.

ahhhhh reminds me of all the money and time I pissed away for nothing in the name of getting laid. Good times.

I'm going with Killzone 2 :)

Metal Gear Solid 3

The atmosphere was so tense, especially in boss fights. The jungle was so atmospheric and it actually felt like you were in a jungle, the maps weren't that linear whatsoever and environments were varied. Also, the game gave off a great 60's vibe.

The first games coming to my mind are Metroid Prime, Super Metroid, Resident Evil Rebirth, Resident Evil 2 and Dead Space (one).

I just started Resistance. I'm really liking the whole atmosphere of the game. For England!

Fallout New Vegas, specifically the dead money DLC. I really got into the whole doomed casino atmosphere with the gas all around and creepy ass townspeople. It was the one time during Fallout when I really felt like I was in a desolate wasteland, it was awesome.

Also Amnesia: the dark descent. This game scared the crap out of me. Alone, with the dark and using headphones, it gets to you quickly and you literally start to panic when the character does.

Yes, definitely!

I especially loved the boss fights, particularly the Poison Ivy boss fight. Rocksteady was able to capture the atmosphere of the series perfectly.

Limbo

Resistance series

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.